diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/client_lease_test.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/client_lease_test.go
index 01134c494eb8..35ce53d70084 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/client_lease_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/client_lease_test.go
@@ -947,6 +947,13 @@ func TestLeasePreferencesDuringOutage(t *testing.T) {
 		locality("us", "mi"),
 		locality("us", "mi"),
 	}
+	// Disable expiration based lease transfers. It is possible that a (pseudo)
+	// dead node acquires the lease and we are forced to wait out the expiration
+	// timer, if this were not set.
+	settings := cluster.MakeTestingClusterSettings()
+	sv := &settings.SV
+	kvserver.TransferExpirationLeasesFirstEnabled.Override(ctx, sv, false)
+	kvserver.ExpirationLeasesOnly.Override(ctx, sv, false)
 	for i := 0; i < numNodes; i++ {
 		serverArgs[i] = base.TestServerArgs{
 			Locality: localities[i],